Together Or Not At All
by SassyKinglet21
Summary: A brief glance into the trials and tribulations of trying to conceive. Warning for mentions of miscarriage and failed IVF treatments.


**A/n: Special thanks to ShadowOfTheProphet for the insperation and CherriiMarina for being an amazing Beta!**

 **Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling I just like to play with her characters. I own nothing.**

Hermione stood shocked as her mind tried to process the words that Minerva had just spoken.

"You... what?" She whispered in shock. Minerva sighed and repeated the words that were breaking her heart.

"I don't want to try again, Hermione... I couldn't handle it if we lost another child. And I can't handle not being able to help you when you become depressed after IVF fails again," Minerva said softly.

Hermione turned away from her wife to hide her tears. They had been married for ten years now and after five wonderful years they decided a child could only make things better...how wrong they were. After trying and failing for almost two years, they had sought out the help of both magical and muggle specialists, and after numerous tests it was determined that it was extremely unlikely they would ever conceive naturally.

Their second In Vitro Fertilization treatment resulted in pregnancy. They had been ecstatic, decorating the nursery, buying baby things, and attending congratulatory parties their friends threw for them.

Hermione was twenty weeks along when she miscarried. The weight of the world had come crashing down on them when they were told their baby had died. After months of severe depression, Hermione wanted to try again, and Minerva had agreed. That was almost a year earlier, and after four more failed attempts, Hermione was desperate and Minerva… was done.

"Maybe it's just not going to happen for us, Hermione. Maybe we're not meant to have a child of our own."

Hermione whirled around to face Minerva, her eyes flashing. "You take that back!" She growled. "You take it back right now, Minerva McGonagall!"

Minerva's eyes narrowed as her temper flared. "I will not! I'm tired Hermione! I'm tired of the heartache! I'm tired of the disappointment! We were perfectly happy before you got this absurd notion that we have to have a baby to be happy stuck in your bloody head! No more! I won't do it again!"

"So wanting a baby with the woman I love is absurd?! We made this decision together, Minerva!" She yelled back. "Dammit! Why are you being so ridiculous about this?!" She cried hysterically.

Unchecked magic from both witches crackled in the air as the stress of the last five years fed into the anger rising between them.

"Why am _**I**_ being ridiculous?! You are the one being ridiculous!" Minerva shot back.

"If you don't do this with me I'll do it myself!"

Minerva's gaze darkened as she realized what it was exactly Hermione was saying. "The hell you will!" She snarled.

Hermione's wand was suddenly in her hand, and before Minerva could react, she was thrown back against the wall. Minerva quickly cast a shield as another spell was flung her way and she jumped to her feet, ignoring the pain in her shoulder.

"Hermione! Stop!" She demanded as more spells were cast. Hermione ignored her order and kept trying to take out her pain on Minerva, and shielded behind her magic, Minerva took the abuse, but refused to fight back. Hermione's anger was soon spent and she stood there panting with tears running down her face.

"Leave..." She hissed. "Take what's yours and leave."

Minerva stood in shocked silence, Hermione's words cooling her temper like a bucket of ice water. She scanned the room slowly... nothing was hers. It was all theirs. Her eyes stopped on the weeping and broken woman in front of her. She closed the distance between them and cupped Hermione's cheek with her right hand.

"Okay, I'll leave..." she said softly, wiping a tear from Hermione's face. Hermione closed her eyes at the gentle caress, her heart screaming at her to beg Minerva's forgiveness and ask her to stay, but her stubborn pride refusing to give in. She was pulled from her inner struggle when she was suddenly lifted into a pair of strong arms, instinctively wrapping her own around Minerva.

"Wha-... What are you doing?!" She questioned as Minerva made her way through the house and out the front door into the rainy night.

Minerva set her down as the rain quickly soaked them. "You told me to take what was mine and leave... you are mine Hermione... you'll always be mine." Minerva said over the rain. "I'm not leaving without you!"

Hermione knew in that moment that she was forgiven and her heart soared. "Then don't leave. Kiss me!"

Minerva grinned and did just that. Their kisses were gentle caresses of forgiveness that quickly lit the fires of passion within them.

"Take me inside..." Hermione murmured between kisses. Minerva scooped her back up into her arms and carried her back inside and into their bedroom. She laid her on the bed, not caring that she was drenched.

Minerva gazed down at her love. "I love you Hermione... you'll always be mine." Though she said it as a statement, the question hung between them. Would Hermione always be hers?

"I'm yours… always." She promised, pulling Minerva down for a kiss.

************

It was a year later when they welcomed their daughter into the world. Lilibeth Ann McGonagall was born full term and perfect at the end of May. Hermione held their daughter as Minerva held her.

"Is she real, Min? I'm not dreaming am I?" Hermione asked as she counted fingers and toes for the hundredth time.

Minerva smiled at her wife. "Yes, my love. She's real...and perfectly healthy."

Hermione smiled up at Minerva. "We have a daughter," she said in a tearful whisper.

"Aye. That we do," she said, wiping a tear from Hermione's cheek.

 **A/n: I love reviews... just saying ;)**


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